A 2017 National Senior Campuses report indicates that there are over 19,000 senior living units in America. With so many facilities to compare, it can feel overwhelming to choose the best one.
However, these 10 pointers can help you filter through the numbers and pick the right senior living community for your loved one.
1. Does the Facility Offer Hospitality Services?
Smart senior living developers are merging the care of an excellent medical facility with the hospitality industry’s warmth to make modern retirement homes.
Take Mathew Griffins’ recent development, the Sheridan Eastside, Georgia. It is a luxury senior living community with spas, salons, and game rooms meant to offer seniors a comfortable life after years of working hard.
So, you do not have to settle for the basics, either.
2. What Kind of Services does your Senior Need?
People living in a senior facility can lead an independent life without needing assistance with everyday tasks.
Still, some seniors need basic housekeeping and laundry help, especially if they have health challenges that make it tough to do them themselves.
If the facility does not offer these services, you may need to hire in-home help—an extra cost you probably do not want to have.
3. Does the facility offer other Levels of Care?
Your loved one may lead an independent life for now, but this may change as they age.
For instance, an independent person may develop medical conditions and require nursing or household care. These services are unavailable in some senior living facilities. So, you may need to shift them to an assisted living facility.
But suppose the community you choose from the beginning has independent, assisted, and memory care units. In that case, you would not have to move your loved one.
He or she would retain the friends they have made over time. And it would spare them the anxiety and potential health issues getting used to a new environment may cause.
4. Does the Design Offer Social Interactions
Isolation affects senior citizens’ mental health.
So, look for a community that offers ample outdoor spaces and encourages members to participate in communal and social activities. Such a place will have social programs on a publicly-available calendar, where you can take a look.
Also, look out for indoor communal rooms such as lounges and kitchens. They help residents create friendships with the people they spend the most time with.
5. Consider the Community’s Location
Older adults thrive in friendly surroundings.
If the location is familiar and feels like home, it will be a perfect retirement home.
So, look for communities that have similar settings to places your loved one has lived before. That includes opportunities to get haircuts, salons, grocery stores, and shopping stores.
Another thing, avoid senior living facilities in remote locations or in places that experience extreme weather.
You also want your loved one close to your location if you plan to see them regularly to share quality time together.
6. Ask the Management About the Extras They on offer?
Some seniors dream of traveling freely, advancing their careers or developing a skill.
Participating in such activities can fulfill an individual’s deep desires, helping them lead a fulfilling life.
Go for a facility that matches the senior citizen’s life goals.
7. What is the Cost of the Facility?
Fortunately, independent communities are more affordable than assisted living facilities.
Ideally, a facility’s cost varies with the community type, size of the apartment, the location, and the available services.
Look for a facility that ticks your budget and needs.
8. What is the Size of the Community?
A large community might offer an array of amenities, such as parks and swimming pools. Inversely, a small community might offer close interactions and a quiet environment.
What does your elderly parent prefer?
9. What Type of Medical Attention is Available?
Although senior living citizens do not need 24/7 nursing care, emergencies can happen.
Choose a facility that is near a hospital or one that offers third-party home health care services.
10. How does living in the Facility Feel?
After all these considerations, you must trust your gut feeling. Visit the facility and envision how staying there would feel.
If you still have reservations, keep looking for the right community.
Conclusion
Senior citizens deserve to live in dignified facilities.
Choose a senior living facility that is friendly and meets your needs and wants. The trick is to get a community that offers a good balance of three things, mostly; medical care, social connection, and personal fulfillment opportunities.
You won’t go wrong with there.
